Amazin' Avenue Restaurant Review: Strawberry's Sports Grill

by James Kannengieser on Mar 23, 2011 10:30 PM EDT

Strawberry's Sports Grill
42-15 235^th St.
Douglaston, NY 11363

Located just steps from the Douglaston Long Island Railroad Station, Strawberry's Sports Grill opened in the summer of 2010. Mets great Darryl Strawberry is the proprietor of the sports bar/restaurant. A standard-size bar area complements three dining rooms, with high-def televisions visible wherever one is located.

Atmosphere/Service

New York baseball memorabilia covers the walls and ceiling of Strawberry's. Think autographed jerseys, team banners, replica World Series trophies and even seats from Shea Stadium and Yankee Stadium. The Mets dominate the décor, but Darryl's stint with the Yankees is also well-documented. A shrewd move, I suppose, appealing to as many fanbases as possible. On the particular Saturday night I dined at Strawberry's, I noted at least a dozen Mets shirts or hats worn by patrons in the crowded joint. No Yankees merchandise was documented. Perhaps the Queens location naturally lends itself to a Met-centric clientele.

The wait-staff dons replica Mets and Yankees jerseys, with Darryl's number on the back. Servers are friendly without being obtrusive. Nothing interrupts a meal like nonstop "how is everything?" inquiries and these are limited to just the right amount. Darryl and other former ballplayers have been known to drop in for a bite -- Keith Hernandez and Roberto Alomar have visited in recent months.

Food

The appetizer roster consists of standards like Chicken Wings and Spinach Artichoke Dip. The Nachos with Three Cheeses ($9), topped with black beans, pico de gallo, sour cream and guacamole, is hefty in portion, enough to warm up three or four diners prior to the main course. The sour cream is applied minimally; the guacamole, generously. The latter is above average and light on the saltiness, so the toppings proportion is welcome.

The beer selection is strong, with Blue Point, Magic Hat and Chimay among the choices. For the baseball-themed cocktail enthusiast, concoctions like the Sac Fly (Stoli Orange, pink lemonade, club soda) are available.

A regular I spoke with at the bar before sitting down to eat told me that the Strawberry's burgers are better than any on restaurant hotspot Bell Boulevard in nearby Bayside. A bold statement, to be sure, but the advice guided my decision to choose the 1969 Burger ($11) over the BBQ and sandwich options on the menu. The opinion of the kindly customer was validated -- the juicy 1969 hooked me at first bite. It is a cheeseburger with crispy onions and house sauce. I ordered it medium rare, and that is exactly how it was prepared. Bonus points to Strawberry's for actually listening to its customers. Six out of ten (note: just a guess) burger places disregard the customer's request nowadays, simply cooking the meat however they please. The crispy onions are a bit stringy, the only drawback to an otherwise enjoyable burger and fries offering.

Overall Thoughts

Strawberry's meets expectations as a sports bar with a lively atmosphere. But the food quality exceeds expectations, earning it a spot on my list of pre- and post-game spots during baseball season. And as an establishment for whenever my dining party craves some Mets ambience with its meal. A caveat -- parking spots outside Strawberry's are scarce. The options are trying one's luck on a metered street spot or paying $3 for a parking lot. Traveling via train is recommended, and the Douglaston station connects to Citi Field and Penn Station in Manhattan.

Rating, on a scale from Alex Cora to Tom Seaver

Mookie Wilson

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Comments

I think you should explain the rating a bit more.

I get the “Alex Cora” and “Tom Seaver” parts, but what about everything else?

Proud supporter of a New York baseball team and a Boston football team. Yeah, deal with it!

"We don’t listen to the hype. I don’t think we ever have. We really take after our coach and he says ‘When you win, say little. When you lose, say less.'"--Tom Brady

The 2011 New York Mets: At least we don't have Omar and Jerry anymore

by R_Adragna on Mar 23, 2011 10:42 PM EDT reply actions

That could probably be a post in itself, James

Trying to believe is my full-time occupation.

by Preach19 on Mar 23, 2011 11:44 PM EDT up reply actions

My guess would be solid, but not great.

Cause how I would Mookie as a player.

Now, kids, being eaten by a crocodile is just like going to sleep; in giant blender.

by meigs1414 on Mar 24, 2011 3:14 PM EDT up reply actions

would describe*

Must not forget words. They are important.

Now, kids, being eaten by a crocodile is just like going to sleep; in giant blender.

by meigs1414 on Mar 24, 2011 3:15 PM EDT up reply actions

Let's try this again:

Cause that’s how I would describe Mookie as a player.

Now, kids, being eaten by a crocodile is just like going to sleep; in giant blender.

by meigs1414 on Mar 24, 2011 4:46 PM EDT up reply actions

I'd be careful basing a restaurant rating

off a dish that the most difficult part of constructing is poking the meat to make sure its cooked properly. Any properly trained cook should do this well and consistently if they value their paychecks. Next time out if you’d be so inclined, try a dish thats a tad more intricate like the Pan Roasted Salmon and see if the sauces win you over without overpowering the Salmon filet and its accompaniments. However you seem satisfied with the other 50% of my rating essentials of service, ambiance and cleanliness (which wasn’t mentioned in a negative light which is good). Thanks for the heads up though, I’m definitely going to make this a pre game priority some time this summer just for this.

"Intelligence is not a genetic predisposition. Think stupid!!"

by Wright of passage on Mar 23, 2011 11:16 PM EDT reply actions

you underestimate the rarity of a properly cooked burger in a restaurant setting

Hey, wait! I'm having one of those things. You know? A headache with pictures?

by KeithsMoustache on Mar 24, 2011 9:54 AM EDT up reply actions

This!

Though the BBQ menu sounds intriguing.

Now, kids, being eaten by a crocodile is just like going to sleep; in giant blender.

by meigs1414 on Mar 24, 2011 3:12 PM EDT up reply actions

Thirded.

by LeiterMilnerFasterStronger on Mar 25, 2011 4:04 PM EDT up reply actions

I heard Straw is not at Spring Training

And no longer working for SNY. Anyone know what happened?

by lupojohn3 on Mar 24, 2011 12:02 AM EDT reply actions

Did I just stumble into Tedquarters?

Love it.

by TheBigStapler on Mar 24, 2011 9:32 AM EDT reply actions

Beer

This would make or break a trip. Magic Hat — meh. Chimay — excellent, but often the only “good” beer on the menu. Blue Point is decent. Do remember any of the others? I think the presence of the Chimay alone makes it acceptable for a meal on a NY excursion. I live in Philly, and though our sports teams are odious, excepting my Union, our beer selection — brewed here and elsewhere — is world class. (As an aside, leading a crowd in a “Let’s Go Mets” chant on New Year’s ve nearly got me banned from a favorite establishment . . . or maybe they didn’t give a shit.)

by tmu on Mar 24, 2011 10:44 AM EDT reply actions

Do they serve grission burgers ?.

A baseball game is simply a nervous breakdown divided into nine innings.

by fxcarden on Mar 24, 2011 12:37 PM EDT reply actions

As much as I hate the Yankees,Not having some of their memorabilia in his restaurant

will cost Straw and his partners dearly.There are many more Yankee fans in NYC and you’ll need their business too to survive.

by Putnan Prince on Mar 24, 2011 5:08 PM EDT reply actions

Stopped in with group.

For Spring Training brunch a week or two back (Selection Sunday, IIRC). The food— including a nice, inexpensive one-mimosa-inclusive brunch buffet— was solid to good all around.

The staff was just as JK described (although a LITTLE less than 100 percent in terms of “table awareness”— we had to request glasses with water, and some missing utensils). The beer selection is decent— a step above middling Irish pub, but not quite at trappist-ale-house level; in addition to the ones he mentioned, they’ve got Duvel, Six Point, Spaten and Brooklyn Pennant Ale(a surprising rarity on NYC sports bar taps), as well as the usual tap suspects (Guinness, Sierra, Stella, etc.).

NOTE: At least on a weekend afternoon, the place was surprisingly kid-friendly, too.

by LeiterMilnerFasterStronger on Mar 25, 2011 4:15 PM EDT reply actions